Motorized vav linear diffuser

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a motorized linear diffuser where an exit passage is installed along a ceiling of an interior while being connected to a duct of the interior for heating and air conditioning or ventilation. The present disclosure has been made in an effort to provide a motorized variable air volume (VAV) linear diffuser for heating and air conditioning or ventilation that can vary air volume by using a motor with a simple structure and at low costs, can be simply assembled and disassembled so that the linear diffuser can be installed or maintained and repaired in a simple way, and can maintain a sealing state when a passage is closed as well.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a motorized linear diffuser where anexit passage is installed along a ceiling of an interior while beingconnected to a duct of the interior for heating and air conditioning orventilation.

BACKGROUND

A linear diffuser in the related art has an exit passage formed longlengthwise, wherein the exit passage is configured to be single or to beplural such that the plurality of exit passages are adjacent to eachother on a cross section. A damper or a blade pivoted for heating andair conditioning or ventilation in various directions may be installedespecially to vary the direction of air.

In an example of a variable air volume (VAV) linear diffuser, atemperature detector is embedded in each diffuser itself to be operatedwithout using a separate external signal, compressed air or a powersupply. The diffuser and the blade may be manufactured of aluminumthrough injection molding, and a chamber is manufactured of a zincplated steel plate with a small thickness (generally, 0.6 mm) A glasswool lining material treated such that spattering thereof is preventedmay be provided in the chamber to absorb sounds and retain heat, and aninterior air inducing chamber may be provided to detect a temperature ofan interior.

However, although the linear diffusers in the related art are insertedinto a chamber (duct extending part) connected to a duct to mainlyperform an air curtain function and installed at a side of a window toenhance a design of a ceiling, most of the linear diffusers in therelated art are configured to manually adjust a blade to regulate airvolume, or adjust a blade through a complex mechanism, making thestructures complex and expensive and making it difficult to maintain andrepair the linear diffusers. In particular, the drawbacks are moreserious with a VAV linear diffuser.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure has been made in an effort to provide a motorizedVAV linear diffuser for heating and air conditioning or ventilation thatcan vary air volume by using a motor with a simple structure and at lowcosts, can be simply assembled and disassembled so that the lineardiffuser can be installed or maintained and repaired in a simple way,and can maintain a sealing state when a passage is closed as well.

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a motorizedVAV linear diffuser installed in an installing space of a chamberconnected to a duct for heating and air conditioning or ventilation andincluding a frame having an elongated tub-shaped part where a passagefor heating and air conditioning or ventilation is formed longlengthwise, the motorized VAV linear diffuser including: a reducer motorunit separably installed at one lengthwise side of the passage of theelongated tub-shaped part; a pivotal blade installed in the passage ofthe elongated tub-shaped part to be pivotally connected to the reducermotor unit at one side thereof to open and close the passage or regulatean opening degree thereof; a shaft holder installed at another side ofthe elongated tub-shaped part to pivotally support another side of thepivotal blade; and an installing unit for separably installing thereducer motor unit, the pivotal blade, and the shaft holder within thechamber directly or together with the frame.

In this case, the pivotal blade may include a blade body forming aframework thereof, a pair of side wall sealing members installed atopposite lengthwise ends of the blade body and formed of a resilientmaterial for maintaining a sealing state of opposite sides thereof andreducing friction as well, and a pair of front/rear wall sealing membersinstalled at opposite ends in a short axis direction of the blade bodyand formed of a resilient material for maintaining a sealing state withopposite side walls of the elongated tub-shaped part, and a pair ofbosses formed of a resilient material to maintain a sealing statebetween the bosses and the pair of front/rear wall sealing members whenthe passage is closed may be installed on opposite side walls of theelongated tub-shaped part.

The motorized VAV linear motor may further include: a position detectioncontrol unit for controlling a position of the pivotal blade to open andclose the passage or regulate an opening degree thereof by controllingan angular position of the reducer motor unit and controlling a positionof the pivotal blade to maintain a sealing state between the front/rearwall sealing members and the bosses when the passage is closed.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, themotorized VAV linear diffuser can be constructed simply andinexpensively by directly connecting the reducer motor unit to thepivotal blade, and can be easily assembled, installed, and maintained byseparably installing the installing unit within the chamber togetherwith the frame where the reducer motor unit, the pivotal blade, and theshaft holder are directly or separably installed by separably installingthe reducer motor unit, the pivotal blade, and the shaft holder withinthe elongated tub-shaped part. Further, friction can be reduced and asealing state can be maintained when the passage is closed at the timeof constructing the pivotal blade and installing the position detectioncontrol unit.

In addition, initial investment costs can be significantly reduced ascompared with linear diffusers in the related art, and performance canbe remarkably excellent as compared with linear diffusers in the relatedart, while greatly contributing to saving energy costs of a building.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be inany way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments,and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the drawings and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a motorized VAV lineardiffuser according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an assembled state of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2 in an opened state.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of FIG. 2 in an opened state.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line C-C of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a closed state corresponding to FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing, which form a part hereof. The illustrativeembodiments described in the detailed description, drawing, and claimsare not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, andother changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe subject matter presented here.

Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment(s) of the present disclosure willbe described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a motorized VAV lineardiffuser 20 according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 2 is a front view of an assembled state of FIG. 1. FIG.3 is a plan view of FIG. 2 in an opened state. FIG. 4 is a bottom viewof FIG. 2 in an opened state. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along theline B-B of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line C-Cof FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a closed state corresponding toFIG. 6.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the motorized VAV lineardiffuser 20 according to the present disclosure includes a chamber 10when the linear diffuser is configured to have the chamber 10 even if itis described and shown that the linear diffuser does not include thechamber 10.

The chamber 10 is generally fixed before a ceiling finishing material isprocessed and connected to a duct for heating and air conditioning orventilation (a duct connecting part is omitted in the drawings), and themotorized VAV linear diffuser 20 is installed in an installing space 11(also serving as a passage for air) of the chamber 10 by means of aninstalling unit 60 after a ceiling finishing material is processed asshown in FIGS. 2 to 7 (reference numeral 20 is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and5, and omitted in the other drawings).

The motorized VAV linear diffuser 20 includes a frame 30, a reducermotor unit 50, a pivotal blade 40, a shaft holder 55, and an installingunit 60.

As shown as an example of the construction, the frame 30 includes anelongated tub-shaped part 31 where a passage 32 is formed longlengthwise, and a ceiling finishing part 33 perpendicular to an outercircumference of the elongated tub-shaped part 31. The pivotal blade 40is pivotally installed in the passage 32 of the elongated tub-shapedpart 31 to open and close the passage 32 of the elongated tub-shapedpart 31 or adjust an opening degree thereof, and bosses 44 are installedrespectively on opposite side surfaces of the elongated tub-shaped part31 to maintain a sealed state when the passage 32 is closed.

The frame 30 having the above constitution may be variously divided tobe assembled. As an example, walls of the elongated tub-shaped part 31and edges of the ceiling finishing part 33 may be configured to beseparated from each other and may be assembled by a well-known means ofthe related art such as welding or joint brackets. In this case, theframe 30 may be formed of an extruding material to be manufacturedeasily and inexpensively. The bosses 44 may also be manufactured bymachining opposite ends of the elongated tub-shaped part 31 after beingextruded at the same time when the walls of the elongated tub-shapedpart 31 are extruded, or may be manufactured and assembled after onlythe bosses 44 are separated.

The reducer motor unit 50 is separably installed at one lengthwise sideof the passage 32 of the elongated tub-shaped part 31 by means of screwthrough-holes 31 a and screws 50 c as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, and thepivotal blade 40 is pivotally connected to the reducer motor unit 50 bymeans of the reducer motor unit 50. The construction where the pivotalblade 40 is pivotally connected to the reducer motor unit 50 may bevariously configured, and in particular, as shown in FIG. 5, may includea separated pivotal connecting shaft 54 and a shaft insertion part 53 aformed in a reduction gear 53 to be described below. The pivotalconnecting shaft 54 is inserted into the shaft insertion part 53 a ofthe reduction gear 53 from one side to be rotated together and isinserted into one side of the pivotal blade 40 on another side.

The shaft holder 55 having the shaft insertion part 55 a so as topivotally support another side of the pivotal blade 40 is installed atanother side of the elongated tub-shaped part 31. As shown in FIG. 5 asan example, the pivotal connecting shaft 54 is pivotally inserted intothe shaft insertion part 53 a on one side and then inserted to berotated together with the pivotal blade 40 on the other side.

Although a pair of pivotal connecting shafts 54 are configured to beseparable in this example, the pivotal connecting shaft may also beintegrally formed with the pivotal blade 40, the shaft holder 55, or thereduction gear 53 through a simple modification, and may be integrallyformed with the elongated tub-shaped part 31 while the shaft holder 55is fixed to the elongated tub-shaped part 31 by means of a screw 55 c inFIG. 5.

The installing unit 60 is adapted to separably install the frame 30where the reducer motor unit 50, the pivotal blade 40, and the shaftholder 55 are installed within the chamber 10, and may include catchingsteps 12, installing brackets 61, and installing screws 63 which arewell known in the related art as in the exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure. In this case, the catching steps 12 are installed onopposite lengthwise side surfaces of the installing space 11 of thechamber 10, and each of the installing brackets 61 includes a pair oflegs 61 b caught by the catching step 12 and a connecting part 61 aconnecting the legs 61 b on the upper side and having a screw hole 62.In the construction of the installing unit 60, an installing screw 63passes through screw the shaft holder 55 and through-holes 55 b and 57of a motor gear box 50 a while the legs 61 b of the installing bracket61 being caught by the catching step 12 and is coupled to the screw hole62 of the connecting part 61 a of the installing bracket 61, so that themotorized VAV linear diffuser 20 (particularly, the shaft holder 55 andthe motor gear box 50 a) can be fixed to and installed in the chamber10.

While the installing unit 60 of the construction has been shown anddescribed as an example, the installing unit 60 may be separablyinstalled by using a screw after simply installing a screw through-holein the frame 30 and installing a screw hole in the chamber 10 or may beemployed in other technologies in the related art. Any well-knownconstruction where the motorized VAV linear diffuser 20 is separablyinstalled in the chamber 10 may be applied to the present disclosure.

Although it is shown and described that the pivotal blade 40 includes ablade body 41 which is an extruding aluminum material, side wall sealingmembers 42 which are resilient materials such as silicon, and front/rearwall sealing members 43 as an example, the pivotal blade 40 may also bevariously configured. The side wall sealing members 42 of the resilientmaterials can reduce friction between the pivotal blade 40 and both sidewalls of the shaft holder 55 during rotation of the pivotal blade 40 andsecure a sealing state as well. The friction can be further reduced bysharpening ends of the side wall sealing members 42 thin as shown. Asealing state is secured by the front/rear wall sealing members 43 thatare a resilient material and the bosses 44 in a closed state. Eventhough one of the front/rear wall sealing members 43 and the bosses 44is not a resilient material, a sealing state can be maintained. However,when both of the front/rear wall sealing members 43 and the bosses 44are resilient materials, a sealing state can be maintained even though adistortion in a lengthwise direction together with flexibility mayexist.

The reducer motor unit 50 may include a synchronous motor 51, a pinion52, and a reduction gear 53 (inner gear) as shown as an example, but isnot limited thereto, and various conventional constructions may beemployed in the reducer motor unit 50 only if the constructions canlinearly controls air volume while maximally reducing RPM. Inparticular, a construction where a position detection control unit 56 tobe described below is employed and angular position can be controlled aswell is more desirable.

The position detection control unit 56 is adapted to open and close thepassage 32 or regulate an opening degree thereof by controlling anangular position of the reducer motor unit 50 to control a position ofthe pivotal blade 40. An example of the construction includes a pair ofprotrusions 56 b installed in the reduction gear 53 to detect an angularposition, a pair of limit switches 56 a operated by the protrusions 56b, and a well-known controller (not shown) for controlling an angularposition of the synchronous motor 51 through an operation of the limitswitch 56 a. By installing the pair of limit switches 56 a to detect aposition at a clockwise or counterclockwise angular interval (in thisexample, an interval of 156 degrees), the bosses 44 and the resilientmaterial of the front/rear wall sealing members 43 are prevented frombeing excessively pushed (a position is selected such that the limitswitch 56 a is operated while being pushed in some degree), and thepivotal blade 40 may be vertical to maintain the fully opened state ofFIG. 6 (the controller calculates a left/right operation time from theoperation times of both the limit switches 56 a without using a separatedetection unit so that the pivotal blade 40 is located centrally).

Although an example of the position detection control unit 56 having theabove constitution has been shown and described, various constructionsin the related art may be employed together with the well-known reducermotor unit 50.

The reducer motor unit 50 is installed in the motor gear box 50 a wherethe motor 51 is sealingly assembled with a cover 50 b to preventcontamination and secure a sealing state, but may be directly installedat one side of the elongated tub-shaped part 31.

Although another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is notillustrated in detail, the elongated tub-shaped part 31 of the frame 30may be formed by extending the chamber 10 downward. In this case, thenumber of parts can be further reduced and the present disclosure alsoincludes such a construction. In this case, only the reducer motor unit50, the pivotal blade 40, and the shaft holder 55 are installed in thecamber 10 by interposing the installing unit 60, and the ceilingfinishing part 33 of the frame 30 may be separately formed to beinstalled in the shaft holder 55 and the motor gear box 50 a or at alower end of the chamber 10.

According to the above-mentioned construction and operation of thepresent disclosure, the motorized VAV linear diffuser 20 can beconstructed simply and inexpensively by directly connecting the reducermotor unit 50 to the pivotal blade 40, and can be easily assembled,installed, and maintained by separably installing the installing unit 60within the chamber 10 together with the frame 30 where the reducer motorunit 50, the pivotal blade 40, and the shaft holder 55 are directly orseparably installed by separably installing the reducer motor unit 50,the pivotal blade 40, and the shaft holder 55 within the elongatedtub-shaped part 31.

Accordingly, initial investment costs can be significantly reduced ascompared with linear diffusers in the related art, and performance ofthe present disclosure can be remarkably excellent as compared withlinear diffusers in the related art, while greatly contributing tosaving energy cost of a building.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments ofthe present disclosure have been described herein for purposes ofillustration, and that various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intendedto be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by thefollowing claims.

1. A motorized VAV linear diffuser installed in an installing space of achamber connected to a duct for heating and air conditioning orventilation and including a frame having an elongated tub-shaped partwhere a passage for heating and air conditioning or ventilation isformed long lengthwise, the motorized VAV linear diffuser comprising: areducer motor unit separably installed at one lengthwise side of thepassage of the elongated tub-shaped part; a pivotal blade installed inthe passage of the elongated tub-shaped part to be pivotally connectedto the reducer motor unit at one side thereof to open and close thepassage or regulate an opening degree thereof; a shaft holder installedat another side of the elongated tub-shaped part to pivotally supportanother side of the pivotal blade; and an installing unit for separablyinstalling the reducer motor unit, the pivotal blade, and the shaftholder within the chamber directly or together with the frame.
 2. Themotorized VAV linear diffuser of claim 1, wherein the pivotal bladeincludes a blade body forming a framework thereof, a pair of side wallsealing members installed at opposite lengthwise ends of the blade bodyand formed of a resilient material for maintaining a sealing state ofopposite sides thereof and reducing friction as well, and a pair offront/rear wall sealing members installed at opposite ends in a shortaxis direction of the blade body and formed of a resilient material formaintaining a sealing state with opposite side walls of the elongatedtub-shaped part, and a pair of bosses formed of a resilient material tomaintain a sealing state between the bosses and the pair of front/rearwall sealing members when the passage is closed are installed onopposite side walls of the elongated tub-shaped part.
 3. The motorizedVAV linear diffuser of claim 1, further comprising: a position detectioncontrol unit for controlling a position of the pivotal blade to open andclose the passage or regulate an opening degree thereof by controllingan angular position of the reducer motor unit and controlling a positionof the pivotal blade to maintain a sealing state between the front/rearwall sealing members and the bosses when the passage is closed.
 4. Themotorized VAV linear diffuser of claim 2, further comprising: a positiondetection control unit for controlling a position of the pivotal bladeto open and close the passage or regulate an opening degree thereof bycontrolling an angular position of the reducer motor unit andcontrolling a position of the pivotal blade to maintain a sealing statebetween the front/rear wall sealing members and the bosses when thepassage is closed.